This information is related to a past event. New information will be posted here ahead of the next Summit.
Image Credit: Mike Hiller & Our Lives Magazine
Session #1
Colonial Legacies: Queerphobia in the New World
Attendees will learn about the inherent legacy colonialism has left on Indigenous communities throughout the Americas. Often, we have learned about our own histories through the lens of anthropologists studying us; therefore, this presentation utilizes Critical Race Theory to give voice to our own people from our own lens and research. We intend to decentralize whiteness & patriarchal systems and instead uphold rematriation through ancestral knowledge of what it means to be “Queer.”
Presented by Iris Carufel & Sylf Bustamante of the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point (Diversity and College Access).
The Alignment: Liberating Trans Birthing Bodies
This workshop addresses the stigmatization of what type of people are giving birth and highlights the struggles that trans people (who don’t identify as women) face trying to navigate health care systems while pregnant or planning to be. Yes, we are talking about pregnant men & pregnant gender non-conforming and nonbinary people! This workshop will also focus how we get our society to move from ignorance to celebration of trans birthing bodies and reproductive health that is for and by trans people. We will look at what trans and queer birth work is already happening and how our communities can move forward as we strive to make reproductive health trans friendly. This workshop will break the ideas that women are the only people that have babies and need to access abortions and other reproductive services.
Presented by Yante Turner of Diverse & Resilient.
LGBT Seniors: A Look at Specific Needs
This workshop / panel will address the specific needs and concerns of LGBT older adults in Wisconsin related to the aging process and accessing services that will improve LGBT elders’ quality of life.
Presented by Christie Carter & John Griffith of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center.
The Shades of Us: Unveiling the Truths Behind Our Health Disparities
Imagine living in the world as a young, Black, gay man combating generational oppression, racism, and homophobia. Dive deep with Stacy Clark as he shares his personal story to unveil the underlying truths behind the health disparities that young, Black, gay men continue to face. After experiencing this workshop, participants will obtain knowledge and a better understanding of the underlying factors that contribute to the alarming HIV transmission rates in our state.
Presented by Stacy Clark of Diverse & Resilient.
Exploring the Past to Relate to the Present
This workshop will explore historical events that have made large impacts on the LGBTQ+ equality movement. Through group activity, participants will discuss when events took place and line them up in chronological order. Then, as a large group, they will discuss what has occurred to this community and how that affects the LGBTQ+ community today. This workshop aims to engage participants in understanding history as it relates to how the LGBTQ+ equality movement has shaped today and continues to evolve.
Presented by Cody Warner of End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin.
Session #2
Hidden Queer Majority
Despite understanding how important visibility and acceptance are to our community, most of the LGBTQ+ community still experiences erasure. Non-monosexuality, such as bisexuality and pansexuality, remains largely misunderstood. In this session, we will actively engage in understanding non-monosexuality in depth, including: myths, community and culture, and unique challenges, such as health disparities, that face the community due to biphobia. The strengths and challenges of non-monosexual communities are compounded with intersectional identities, including: race, religion, socioeconomic status, and educational attainment. Together, we will work through ways you can foster acceptance and appreciation for the community in whatever role you play!
Presented by Anna Super & Katie Abbott-Davis of the University of Wisconsin—Parkside.
TRANSforming Allyship: From Awareness to Action for Trans Inclusion
Despite increasing acceptance of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming (TNG) / diverse identities, trans / TNG community members still face intense stigma, violence, and barriers to participation. Many service providers and community leaders have good intentions about trans inclusion and, with a deeper understanding and expanded toolbox, they can build on those intentions to create truly trans-inclusive practices and policies. This workshop is for service providers and community leaders who are motivated to build their capacity to more effectively support trans people in their professional and community contexts. Through a lively combination of presentations, small- and large-group discussions, practical exercises, and collaborative problem-solving, participants will gain understanding of trans identities and experiences, examine personal, organizational, and community barriers to inclusion, develop strategies to support trans people in everyday interactions and in their professional roles, and plan next steps to put their allyship into action, while staying in touch with the needs and priorities of trans communities.
Presented by the Wisconsin Trans Health Coalition.
7 Minutes
What if you only had seven minutes to convey your most important thoughts, dreams, or passions? Have an idea of what you want to say, but not quite sure how to present it to produce change? This session is designed to give participants an opportunity to put together the most compelling message of their time. Whether it is conveying your organization’s mission or just conveying your most compelling argument, this session is for you.
Presented by Jesse Franklin.
The Myth of Mutual Abuse in LGBTQ+ Relationships
The myth of mutual abuse can be especially harmful for LGBTQ / same-gender-loving folks in relationships. Perpetuating the belief that both partners can be abusive poses devastating barriers for victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual violence, and hate violence. Join us to debunk this myth and discuss what abusive behaviors in different relationships can look like—from hooking up to long-term monogamous partnerships. By opening a conversation to dispel the misconception of mutual abuse, we will ultimately aim to bolster the ways we take care of those in our community who have experienced violence as a means for transformative collective liberation.
Presented by Kathy Flores, Jennifer Williams, & Nick Ross of Diverse & Resilient.
What’s Happening Now with LGBTQ Civil Rights?: An Interactive Discussion of Recent Legal Developments, Judicial Decisions, and Executive Branch Policies
This information-based, interactive discussion will focus on current issues critically important to all Americans, including the LGBTQ community, including:
- changes in and effects of announced policies and practices of the Departments of Defense, Education, Health & Human Services, and Labor related to transgender access, familial adoption, academic opportunities, military service, contractor discrimination, and health care provision;
- the status and promotion of Department of Justice initiatives and legal positions on the coverage and breadth of America’s Civil Rights Laws as they apply to discrimination and bias based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and other immutable human characteristics;
- the government-wide creation and impact of units and processes that place primacy on religious convictions of people and companies as they relate to the civil and human rights of LGBTQ citizens;
- the continuing, principally anti-LGBTQ legislative initiatives and enactments affecting employment, health care, familial, and other constitutional, statutory, and administrative rights;
- the positions and policies of the U.S. Government on proposed, international condemnations of the imposition of the death penalty for consensual, same-sex relations; and
- the present status and of various executive, legislative, and judicial topics related to the recognition and enforcement of basic human, civil, and privacy civil rights of all residents, including members of the LGBTQ communities throughout the U.S..
The session discussion will also include practical mechanisms and means for participants to become and remain engaged in addressing these various issues and challenges.
Presented by James Santelle.
Session #3
A Doula for Everyone: Queer-Inclusive Care During Pregnancy & Childbirth
Everyone deserves to feel confident, informed, and supported while they’re building their family. For queer couples who are already facing marginalization in their lives before ever deciding to become pregnant or become parents, having a queer-affirming doula to support them through conception, pregnancy, birth, adoption, doctor’s appointments, decision-making, and everything else can make a powerful, positive difference.
In this workshop, participants will learn about the basics of doula care, what it means to be and how to find a queer-affirming doula, and the impact of having the support of a queer-affirming doula while building a family.
Presented by Tori Freund of VLF Doula Services.
Examining and Understanding Transphobic Microaggressions in LGBTQ Work
Building on the foundation of allyship (TRANSforming Allyship: From Awareness to Action for Trans Inclusion), this workshop will explore some common ways that transphobic microaggressions show up in LGBTQ work. Participants will continue to gain understanding of these types of experiences and consider the ways microaggressions may take place around them in daily life. Participants will also continue to develop strategies to demonstrate support and allyship—both in everyday interactions and in professional roles.
Presented by the Wisconsin Trans Health Coalition.
Know Your Rights: Discrimination Complaints & Remedies in the City of Milwaukee
The City of Milwaukee Equal Rights Commission (ERC) is empowered by Chapter 109 of the Milwaukee Code of Ordinances, making it responsible for: monitoring the employment, contracting, and program activities of the city; preparing timely reports to the Mayor and Common Council on efforts to promote equal rights and opportunities; promoting positive community relations; and eliminating discrimination and inequities in city government. Additionally, the ERC has the jurisdiction to hear housing, employment, and public accommodation discrimination complaints, but the investigative and enforcement activities are limited to discriminatory practices not addressed within the jurisdiction of Federal and State agencies. In instances where a complaint is received by the ERC and lacks standing in State or Federal jurisdictions, the Commission has the authority to investigate and mediate the issue. Know your rights as a member of the City of Milwaukee LGBTQ+ community. This workshop will go over the protections provided in Chapter 109, the processes for filing a discrimination complaint with either the ERC or a State or Federal entity, and remedies for discrimination.
Presented by Jessica Langill & Tony Snell of the City of Milwaukee Equal Rights Commission.
Yes, I’m Mad: How to Dismantle Respectability Politics
There are too many instances where white people are managing my rage. Queer and trans people of color are always under close examination of their expression of liberation, especially when it comes to the movements of their life rights and reality. In this workshop, we will explore what it means to dismantle the respectability politics that we must uphold with multiple identities in our lives. We will examine multiple topics that call for a need of rage and how to use it the best. So, come get mad with us!
Presented by Jaylin Mitchell of Ubuntu Research and Evaluation.
Marketing as LGBTQ+ Inclusive: How to & Why You Should
In 2018, 78% of consumers stated that they prefer to support LGBT-friendly businesses and organizations. Learn from the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce staff the benefits of promoting yourself as an inclusive business, how to measure how inclusive you are, and different ways to promote your organization as inclusive. This workshop will review demographics of today’s customers and workforce, the importance of marketing organization as LGBTQ+ friendly, benefits of promotion as an LGBTQ+ inclusive business, ways to gauge how inclusive your organization is, and ways to promote your organization as inclusive.
Presented by Kat Klawes of the Wisconsin LGBTW Chamber of Commerce.
Session #4
TRANSforming Our Health Services: A Case Study on the Training Collaboration Between the Wisconsin Trans Health Coalition and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to Create High-Quality Care for TNG Patients
The Wisconsin Trans Health Coalition and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin have collaborated to design and implement training practices that will establish Planned Parenthood as a hub for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming (TNG) / diverse patients to receive consistently high-quality care at every location across the state of Wisconsin. This workshop will discuss this initiative as a case study for organizational and systemic change. We will then explore ways this model could be adapted for use in other health care systems and workplaces and how lessons learned could be used to drive many levels of policy change.
Presented by the Wisconsin Trans Health Coalition.
It’s All on Wisconsin in 2020!
The 2020 elections are right around the corner! Voter turnout is expected to be historically high. “It’s the most important election in our lifetime.” We’ve heard it all because it is TRUE. Most importantly, ALL EYES are on Wisconsin! HRC in Wisconsin is looking to make sure every single LGBTQ+ equality-minded voter turns out in April, in August, and most importantly on November 3, 2020. We are looking to give you tools and skills on relational organizing and digital organizing by sharing examples from 2018 and 2019. With a collaborated effort, when we win in Wisconsin, equality wins!
Presented by Deon Young of the Human Rights Campaign.
Living Black & Gay: The Intersections of our Identity
The various layers and intersections of being a Black same-gender-loving man can be difficult at times. Whether it be generational oppression or homophobia, our queer people of color face disparities that promote unfavorable outcomes. Come learn about Intersectionality Among Men and the many ways it serves as a protective factor against substance abuse, depression, and HIV.
Presented by Jamal Perry & Stacy Clark of Diverse & Resilient and James Stewart & Donnie Claybrooks of Vivent Health.
“Logging Off” Isn’t the Answer: Domestic Abuse, LGBTQ Victims, and the Internet
This presentation aims to enhance access to justice for LGBTQ victims of domestic abuse by raising practitioner awareness of the most common technological means used by perpetrators when exacting abuse and harassment in the digital world, the impact it has on the victim, and how LGBTQ victims of domestic abuse and harassment are especially vulnerable to abuse and may experience significant barriers to obtaining adequate protections under existing laws.
Presented by Matthew Lewis of the Medical College of Wisconsin & Lorenzo Edwards, Jr. of Milwaukee County.
Be Here, Be Healed: An Open Community Dance Wellness Workshop
This is an introductory class on organic conscious dance movement for healing. We will follow many expressive exercises centered around the human experience. Each process will begin internally and then be expressed externally within the space through movement. In the beginning, we will acknowledge each participant; this can be done visually or verbally. There will also be space for self-reflection for everyone within the space and their bodies, creating unity within the group and fostering new forms of community and a collective mentality. The group will be motivated to make the art form relevant for where they are at that day through a series of technical dance experiences and progressions for the beginner mover. Although there is a physical tone to this workshop, the most important attribute attendees will take home is embodiment: owning you, your movement in this world, and your future strides with awareness of your vessel.
Presented by Nanya El Madyun Wilson of Water Street Dance Milwaukee.
Ear Acupuncture for Relaxation
Come find out first-hand how acupuncture alleviates stress. The NADA protocol, practiced worldwide by licensed acupuncturists, is proven to reduce addictive behavior and lessen the effects of trauma. Generally speaking, NADA calms the nervous system, stops pain, and relieves anxiety. Because it relies on only five ear points, people can be treated fully clothed in a chair; this is a perfect opportunity to try acupuncture or, for those who have experience with acupuncture, to relieve stress during the summit.
For the first 15 minutes of this session, Kellen will introduce acupuncture’s impact on LGBTQI health and answer questions. NADA will be available on a drop-in, first-come / first-served basis. Most people like to rest with the needles in for 10-30 minutes.
Presented by Kellen Grimm & Ellice Plant of North Node Clinic.